1/2 of yung drvrs r txtN yl drivN sEz Survey

And I thought I was so clever with that headline, only to find that Wired did it yesterday. But the issue is serious; We may worry about radiation, but a bigger problem with cellphones is the way people use them. A new study by Thomson-Reuters' Findlaw.com claims that 48% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 admit to texting while behind the wheel. 17% of all adults surveyed say that they have done it, but it skews young:

A lawyer at Findlaw notes that it isn't just dumb, but legally questionable.""The potential legal implications of texting while driving go far beyond the possibility of a mere traffic violation," said Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney at FindLaw.com. "In the case of a traffic accident, proof that the driver was texting while driving may be used to help prove liability for the accident, even in states that do not ban texting while driving." According to Rahlfs, it's conceivable that a jury could consider texting while driving as negligent or even reckless conduct." ::FindlawMore TreeHugger on Cellphone SafetyStop The Walking and Texting Carnage; Practice Safe Text : 50 Ways to Recycle Your Cell Phone Driving Greener Every Day